Juniper traced a finger down the list of potential witnesses, mapping out their strategy. “We’ll need to establish the pattern early,” she said, her focus locked on the documents. “Hit them with the systemic evidence-”

“We might want to consider alternative approaches,” Daniel suggested carefully, his tone measured but firm. “Donahue might respond better to a gradual build.”

Her shoulders squared automatically, like a circuit balancing its own voltage. But something in the way he leaned forward, genuinely invested in their shared purpose, made her pause.

Well, maybe his approach isn’t completely wrong, she thought, surprising herself.

“We could review both options,” she offered, the words feeling less like concession and more like synthesis. Their styles had begun to align in unexpected ways - her precision and his adaptability creating something neither had anticipated.